AEDs Available to Councils and Units

Jose Lepervanche is Scoutmaster of Troop 182 in Jacksonville, Florida. On July 1, 2007, Jose arrived at Woodruff Scout Reservation, along with 900 Scouts and a hundred other leaders. After the opening campfire, Jose collapsed. CPR was administered immediately, and then Jose’s heart was shocked five times with an AED brought by EMTs. Two days later, Jose regained consciousness, and he was released after 12 days in the hospital with a permanent implantable cardioverter defibrillator. Jose’s complete story can be viewed at http://www.suddencardiacarrest.org.

As reported in the Spring 2008 Health and Safety Newsletter,a survey of BSA local councils revealed that 21 percent of council offices and 58 percent of council camps have automated external defibrillators, or AEDs, in place to Be Prepared for sudden cardiac arrest emergencies that affect more than 325,000 Americans annually. If CPR and defibrillation are not applied within 10 minutes after sudden cardiac arrest, there is virtually no chance of survival. However, in situations where defibrillation is provided within five to seven minutes, the survival rate from sudden cardiac arrest is as high as 49 percent. Active promotion of CPR and AED education, especially training, can help every Scout, Scouter, and family member to be prepared for such an emergency.

As part of the BSA's effort to make 100 percent coverage a reality for your offices and camps, councils can take advantage of offers from two great program supporters: Philips Medical, which has been providing AEDs to BSA councils since 2005, and Cardiac Science, which joined us in 2008.

Preferred pricing structures have been enhanced and extended to units that would like to purchase AEDs, support services, and equipment for unit use or for their chartered organizations, service projects, schools or throughout their communities.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will this really save a life?YES.

Jose Lepervanche is Scoutmaster of Troop 182 in Jacksonville, Florida. On July 1, 2007, Jose arrived at Woodruff Scout Reservation, along with 900 Scouts and a hundred other leaders. After the opening campfire, Jose collapsed. CPR was administered immediately, and then Jose’s heart was shocked five times with an AED brought by EMTs. Two days later, Jose regained consciousness, and he was released after 12 days in the hospital with a permanent implantable cardioverter defibrillator. Jose’s complete story can be viewed at http://www.suddencardiacarrest.org.

National Council: The story of Jose Lepervanche is not the only one. If you have time, give Gloria Lundin, RN, the occupational health nurse at the national council, a call. She’ll tell you how, along with Jim Wilson and Dave Campbell, the team at the national office saved the life of Gretchen Menchew, a private contractor who was visiting for a meeting on March 1, 2007. Quick application of CPR and use of an AED were critical to saving her life.Bay-Lakes Council: “…The words “Thank You” can barely express the gratitude I feel to those that helped save my life on July 29th. Without God’s grace, a quick responding staff member at your waterfront and the AED that Camp Rokilio had the foresight to purchase; I surely would not be alive to write you this card. I feel so very blessed to have had all of the key players and equipment in place to save me that day…” Paula Arbaugh

What if I have an AED story to share?Many stories of saves exist; please feel free to share them with us.

Questions on the alliance? Contact the Health and Safety team at 972-580-2447.

For BSA local councilsThis model proposal could be used to solicit funding for implementing an AED Program. Contact your Council Solutions representative for further information. Volunteers should contact their local council prior to any fundraising activities.